


SUNSET

by mssjynx



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Awkwardness, Falling In Love, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sunsets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-28 22:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20433557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mssjynx/pseuds/mssjynx
Summary: Evan loves the sunset. But big blue eyes and pretty freckles take his breath away. It might not be the sky that he's falling in love with tonight.





	SUNSET

The sunset was beautiful. 

Pinks. Purples. Blues. Streaks of orange and yellow dancing across the sky. The last sliver of rich gold fell beneath the horizon, reflecting colour across the clouds and placing a layer of shine along the water’s surface. 

Evan sat on the beach, sand between his toes where he buried his bare feet. His undivided attention remained on the sky. Colour painted back and forth, a piece of art worth millions. Colours Evan had never seen before, colours Evan wanted to steal for himself. 

Without pulling his eyes from the sky, he drew his phone from his pocket and flicked open his camera. It felt childish to take photos of the scene, catching the figures of other individuals walking along the wet sand, all eyes on the sky. No photo would be able to recreate the raw beauty of the sunset, but God knew he’d try. 

“Come on, Evan, I have to get home soon. I gotta pay the babysitter and get dinner going.” Brock sat in the sand beside him, soft-spoken. Evan knew he could feel it too; how the evening was almost ethereal, how speaking too loud might shatter the serenity. 

With reluctance, Evan nodded his head, but before he could open his mouth to respond, another voice cut in. 

“Ex- Excuse me!” Two people were walking quickly across the sand, both sets of eyes on Brock and Evan. The woman was barely keeping up with her partner, a man with a disarray of dark hair and a frown lined with worry. Despite being forced to rush to keep up with him, the woman held a small amused smile, showing none of the panic that he did. 

Brock was on his feet in seconds, helping Evan up as the pair reached them. “Is there something wrong?” he asked, concern glimmering in his eyes like the mother duck he was. Evan wasn’t surprised. His best friend was someone who spent most of his time helping others and doing favours. He had the kindest heart of anyone Evan had ever met and there was no doubt that, if asked, he would spend the next hour scouring this beach for a pair of lost glasses or a wedding ring. 

“Yes!” the stranger said, his left hand opening and closing as if trying to control his panic. Evan felt worry rise in his own heart for the man who wore his distress on his sleeve. “Well- not- not really, I just- can I- I need to borrow a phone!” The man took a desperate step forward with his words, but his brilliant blue eyes showed his hopefulness, not expectancy.

At both Brock’s and Evan’s confused looks, the woman stepped forward and placed a hand on her partner’s arm, meeting his eyes for a moment with silent words of reassurance. “His phone’s being fixed right now and he wants a photo of the sunset. But mine’s dead,” she explained. 

Evan spoke first. He stepped forward and held out his phone with a small smile, catching the shock and excitement sparking in those baby blues. “Use mine,” he said. A part of him questioned his eagerness to help, as he knew Brock would have been more than happy to lend his camera. But the look of relief on this stranger’s face was the perfect reward for his act of kindness.

“Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank…” he trailed off as he fiddled with the phone, but his small smile dropped within seconds to make room for his confused pout. “How the- How does this thing work?” he asked, looking back up to Evan with a question for help. Evan was hit with the intensity of his stare, having to stop himself from stepping back in surprise. The man wore his emotions incredible clearly and his gaze was open and almost vulnerable as he asked for a total stranger’s help. 

But the odd behaviour didn’t worry or scare Evan off. The Canadian man had always been somewhat shy socially, but having this guy’s undivided attention didn’t unnerve him like it normally would. “Sorry, it’s an Android. The camera is… here, and you tap this button to take the photo,” he explained as he stepped closer, his fingers resting lightly along the back of the stranger’s hand to keep the phone still as he pointed out its functions. 

A grin spread across the guy’s lips and his freckles danced beneath the evening’s dying light. Evan found it difficult to look away. 

“Don’t you think it’s a beautiful night?” He heard the woman speaking quietly to Brock but didn’t care to pay attention. Evan stayed beside the strange man, watching as he ducked low to take very careful, special photos of the sunset. Evan couldn’t stop himself from smiling at how the man had his tongue stuck out from between his teeth as he focused, eyes squinted with a strong sense of determination. 

When he stood up straight, his happiness felt tangible in the evening air. He showed no signs of his previous distress as he tapped away on Evan’s phone. “How do I text me?” he asked, looking up eagerly to Evan. His lack of knowledge about the phone no longer brought him stress, instead flashing childish excitement in his eyes when they met Evan’s. Evan noticed, for the first time since seeing the man, a dimple pressed into his right cheek that deepened as his smile broadened to a grin. 

He couldn’t help himself from thinking about how good this man looked beneath the colours of the sky, smiling at him with bright eyes and messy hair, as if they’d known each other for years, not minutes. He looked happy to simply meet someone new and kind. 

“Here,” he said, placing his hand over the back of the stranger’s and finding the messenger app on his phone. He opened a new text chat and glanced up to the stranger. For a moment, he admired the concentration in his eyes, how deep of a blue they were; more blue than the sky or the ocean. “Put in your number and select the photos you want to send.” The guy nodded along with his words, doing so slowly and carefully to make sure everything was correct. “If they don’t send through now then I’ll send them again later,” Evan offered.

“Thank you so much!” the man exclaimed, grinning broadly. “I can’t- I can’t wait to paint this sunset!” His excitement was infectious. 

“You paint?” Evan asked, watching as his gallery was opened and the stranger selected all the photos. As he tried to examine the tiny icons, Evan laughed. “I took some earlier myself. You can send them to yourself as well.” 

The man nodded. “Yep!” he said. “I been painting since I was in school.” Pride rang heavy in his voice and Evan couldn’t stop the warm glowing in his chest. The man sent through the pictures and held Evan’s phone out for him. “Me an’ my sister only come down here- never come down here! And- And this is the best sunset I’ve ever seens! I knew I gotta paint it but without my phone I couldn’t- I didn’t know what I’d do if I missed shot!”

He spoke animatedly as Evan took back the phone. His prior assumption that the pair may have been boyfriend and girlfriend vanished at his explanation but he couldn’t help questioning it further when he glanced between the two. “You two are siblings? You look so different,” he said, nodding at the blonde, tan woman who was deep in conversation with Brock about children. “I wouldn’t have guessed.” As the words left his mouth, he realised he didn’t even know the guy’s name. Feeling his face heat in embarrassment, he held out his hand before the man could answer. “Sorry, I didn’t even… I’m Evan,” he said and felt himself relax at the big smile he received. No shame, no weirdness. Evan wondered how often this man jumped into spontaneous conversations with strangers without introducing himself. 

His hand was taken and shaken enthusiastically. “I’m Jon,” was the returning introduction and Evan was happy to put a name to his face. “And I get that heaps,” he took his hand back, “I’m adopted but my sister ain’t.” 

Evan’s smile fell. “Shit, I’m sorry-” But he cut himself short as Jon shook his head rapidly. 

“Don’t be! I- I love my family!” he blurted out, waving his hands back and forth in a panic to make sure Evan didn’t feel bad. “I always knew somethin’ was weird seein’ as my Ma and Pa were both far too tan for me to end up so pale and freckle-y.” Comfortable laughter followed his words as he lifted his arms to examine the little brown spots that pepper his skin. Evan laughed along with him, unable to help it. 

Except when the words: “I like your freckles,” fell helplessly off his tongue.  _ Fuck _ . 

Those beautiful blue eyes widened in surprise, long lashes fluttering and pink lips pursing slightly. “I- You- Huh?” were the tangled words that he spoke and Evan took a deliberate step back. 

“I- I’m sorry that was, uh… That was weird.” He shook his head hard, knowing his cheeks were growing pink. “Anyway, my friend needs to get home to his kid, so I’ll- It was nice to meet you… Jon,” Evan spluttered. 

“Do you have a kid?” blurted out of Jon’s mouth and Evan blinked in surprise as he took a few steps back. 

A breathless laugh, strained and awkward, fell from his lips with a shake of his head. “No. No, I don’t have any kids.” He managed a weak smile, catching Jon’s nod and the faint touch of pink that hid behind his freckles before turning on his heel and grabbing Brock’s arm. 

“Thanks for the photos!” was called after them following Brock’s quick goodbye and Evan was too embarrassed to turn and wave. 

Brock stumbled to catch up to his speedy pace with a look of exasperation. “What happened!?” he gasped. 

Evan shook his head. “I’m never leaving the house again,” he muttered, his mind swirling with thoughts of Jon’s reaction to his unexpected and weird compliment. “Don’t ask me why.” He pretended to ignore Brock’s helpless laugh, but only ended up hearing Jon’s replay through his mind. 

-

**Wednesday, 8:34PM.**

**Image(s) failed to send. [ 12 ]**


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